The Centre for Environmental Justice at Community Law & Mediation has seen a diverse range of issues present at its free legal advice clinics since its establishment in 2021. It aims to protect the most vulnerable in society from the impacts of climate change and other environmental harms by providing access to environmental justice, community engagement and education on environmental rights, and advocating for equitable environmental policy and law reform.
Climate change and other environmental harms adversely affect a broad range of human rights that are recognised and protected under national, EU and international law, including the right to life, food, water, adequate shelter, sanitation, health, culture, and the recently recognised right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment.
About the Centre
The CEJ’s objective is to ensure that no person or community is disproportionately impacted by climate change or other environmental harms, and that environmental measures and climate action protect and build equality and social justice. It offers free legal information, advice and education on environmental justice and advocates for a rights-based approach to environmental policy and law reform.
Unfortunately, communities who experience disadvantage or marginalisation are often disproportionately impacted by the present and future effects of climate change, air pollution, energy poverty and other environmental harms.
In particular, it is low-income households, migrant communities, members of the Traveller community, children, people with disabilities, women and older people that are most often affected by environmental harms. This is unjust and it must change.
Free legal advice
We welcome all queries to our advice clinics, which are held on a weekly basis and can be accessed by phone, Zoom or in person. No query is too small.
We can assist with a variety of environmental issues, such as a lack of environmental enforcement in relation to dumping, noise pollution, water pollution and dereliction; intersectional health, housing and environmental problems due to poor housing conditions such as cold and damp, poor access to sanitation and clean water; poor air quality; energy poverty and problems accessing retrofit schemes; and lack of access to green space and amenities. If you are experiencing another environmental issue, or if you are unsure whether your query is “environmental” please get in touch and we can assist.
To book into one of our environmental legal advice clinics, visit our online enquiry form.Once you submit the form, we will aim to be in touch within 48 hours with an appointment. Alternatively, you can phone us on 01 847 7804.
Community talks and training
Alongside our free legal advice clinics, the CEJ offers a variety of community talks and webinars delivered by CEJ staff and other relevant experts, with the aim to empowering communities in relation to their environmental rights, and to highlight the connection between community health, energy poverty, housing, climate and the environment. The training that we offer to other community organisations aims to help them better integrate environmental justice priorities into their work. Each programme is tailor made to support them to learn about their rights and issues that they experience and see in their communities.
Influencing climate policy
The CEJ also seeks to inform and influence the rapidly changing policy landscape, making policy submissions and working in cooperation with other social justice organisations, local authorities and public bodies on policy areas such as air quality, emissions targets, and the need for a right to adequate housing.
If you wish to find out more about the work of the Centre for Environmental Justice, please check out our website, or follow us on X, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram. Or subscribe to our monthly CEJ newsletter to keep up to date.